Marcus Bettinelli
| clubnumber = 41 (2009-2012) 35 (2012-2013) 40 (2013-2015) 1 (2015-present) | debut = Brentford (a) (26 Aug 2014) | lastapp = Preston (a) (5 Apr 2016) | firstgoal = | lastgoal = | joinedfrom = Crystal Palace - Jul 2005 | leftfor = | leagueapps(gls) = 44 (0) | allapps(gls) = 51 (0) | otherclubs = Crystal Palace (youth) (2001-2005) (from Fulham) (2012-2013) (from Fulham) (2013) | international = England U21 (2014) | apps(gls) = 0 (0) }} Marcus Bettinelli is currently a goalkeeper at Fulham. He has been on the clubs books since he was 13 and has been called up to the England U21 squad on two occasions during 2014-15. After impressing on loan at Dartford in 2012-13, he was sent on loan to Accrington Stanley for the 2013-14 season, though he was recalled on Boxing Day. He broke through to the first team in 2014-15. = Career = Before Fulham Marcus was born in Camberwell, London and is the son of Fulham's goalkeeping coach Vic Bettinelli. He played for Crystal Palace as a young boy until he was snapped up by Fulham. Fulham (2005-present) Marcus joined Fulham as an U14 player in the 2005-06 season. Unfortunately, his first couple of years at the club were hampered by injuries though Bettinelli benefited massively from being on the full-time scholars’ programme as his goalkeeping came on leaps and bounds. He was made captain of the U18 squad in his first year in the side, and was voted as best goalkeeper in the 2010 Sparkasse & VGH Cup indoors tournament in Germany. He has since spent time no loan at Dartford in 2012-13 and Accrington Stanley in 2013-14. On Boxing Day 2013, he was recalled to take a place on the substitutes bench away to Norwich, after Maarten Stekelenburg became injured shortly before. Another spot on the bench followed shortly in a shocking 6-0 loss at Hull before he was sent back to Accrington on loan until the end of the season. On 10 January 2014, Marcus signed a new deal with Fulham which would keep him at the club until 30 June 2016. His successful loan spell at Accrington Stanley was rewarded in May 2014 when he was awarded their Young Player of the Season award. He made his first team debut on 26 August 2014 in a League Cup fixture against Brentford in which he kept a clean sheet in a 1-0 victory. His first clean sheet in the league came on 1 October when Fulham thumped Bolton 4-0. A welcome surprise came for Marcus on 6 November 2014, as he was called up to the England U21 squad for the first time. In what was a very successful start to his Fulham career, Marcus made his first real blunder when he dropped a ball over his own goal line in an FA Cup loss at home to Sunderland in February 2015. He redeemed himself over the following few matches, including a man-of-the-match performance in a well-fought 2-0 victory away at Huddersfield Town on 21 March 2015 including saving a penalty after Fulham were reduced to ten men. In the off-season in 2015, Marcus was heavily linked to a move away to London rivals Chelsea, but despite this he signed a new four year contract with Fulham much to the delight of the fans. Unfortunately, he sustained a bad knee injury only a week later in a 2-1 defeat at Hull City, whereby striker Matt Smith fell awkwardly into his leg who also injured himself in the process. He made his return to first team action in a 1-1 draw at Birmingham City. =Fulham Statistics= Appearances U18 squad U21 squad First team =Fulham Matches= U18 squad U21 squad First team External links and references Category:Players Category:Goalkeepers Category:England